Scatology, or Coprology, is the study of poop or excrement—a practice as old as pooping itself. Ancient civilizations in places like China, Egypt, and Greece analyzed human feces to diagnose illnesses. Today, this field extends beyond human health; backyard animal poop identification has become a practical tool for homeowners and wildlife professionals. It helps determine which animals are frequenting a property, guiding appropriate pest or wildlife control strategies. While Shock Naue Entertainment News typically brings you the latest from the world of film, music, and celebrity happenings, sometimes the most unexpected ‘scoop’ comes from nature itself – like trying to figure out what kind of Animal Poop That Looks Like Blackberries might be appearing in your yard. Understanding these natural signs is a fascinating, albeit sometimes unpleasant, piece of information about the environment around us.
Historically, some believed poop could reveal fortunes. Today, medical professionals still consider bowel movements a key indicator of health. For animals and humans alike, waste provides crucial information when interpreted correctly. Poop goes by many names, or [euphemisms]. You might hear it called scat, dung, or turds. More formally, it’s known as fecal matter, excrement, or droppings. Colloquially, terms like crap, number 2, taking a dump, or a bowel movement are common.
The scientific terms Scatology and Coprology originate from Greek words for feces. Studying poop allows researchers and doctors to glean insights into bodies and diseases. A unique term, in fimo, was coined by a Classics Professor and doctors for a specific experiment, drawing from Latin words for poop.
Latin offers four words for poop: laetamen, merda, stercus, and fimus. Laetamen often referred to animal dung used in farming. Merda carried connotations of smell or stink. Stercus was a Roman term that evolved into a curse word. Fimus was used by esteemed Roman writers like Virgil, Livy, and Tacitus. Given its use by such figures, fimus is considered suitable for modern scientific context, leading to the adoption of in fimo for the experiment. While seemingly academic, using precise Latin terminology remains vital in scientific discourse.
Why Identify Wildlife Poop?
Understanding what kind of wildlife leaves droppings in your yard, especially when encountering something like Animal Poop That Looks Like Blackberries, is more than just curiosity. Backyard animal poop identification is a first step in managing wildlife interactions. For instance, squirrels busy outdoors might go unnoticed, but their droppings become apparent if they enter your home.
Common home invaders include the Eastern Grey Squirrel and the Gray Squirrel. With over 350 squirrel species, their diverse diets influence droppings size, much like different dog breeds. Finding a large pile of droppings often leads people to suspect rats or mice initially. Squirrel poop typically measures about 3/8” long and 1/8” wide, with a shape often described as bean-like. Fresh droppings are reddish or rusty brown, fading to a chalky appearance as they age. A squirrel family in an attic will leave numerous droppings in various shades, providing clear evidence of their presence.
Identifying Squirrel Poop
Squirrel droppings are commonly found in areas they inhabit, though they avoid defecating in their nests. Mother squirrels keep nests clean by removing waste. You’re more likely to find squirrel droppings near entry points or in areas where they feed, often amidst nut and seed debris. Accumulations can also be found near their hiding spots, such as in attics.
Finding squirrels in your attic is a strong indicator of an active infestation; their movements are often audible. Prompt action is crucial once you discover their presence, as they’ve been eating and leaving waste there. Planning for removal, sealing entry points, and thorough cleanup are essential steps.
Professional wildlife teams can assist with handling squirrels and the associated cleanup, including the removal of droppings.
Flying Squirrel Droppings
Dealing with flying squirrels indoors presents a unique challenge. Smaller than Grey Squirrels, they are highly social and often invade in large numbers, making an attic a bustling environment. Infestations can involve dozens of individuals. They will breed, eat, nest, and eliminate waste within the infested area.
Flying squirrels often exhibit latrine behavior, repeatedly using specific spots for defecation. Accumulations of waste in certain areas can be a key sign of their presence. Their poop is smaller than that of regular squirrels, measuring around ¼” to ⅜” long with rounded edges.
Chipmunk Poop
Chipmunks primarily inhabit outdoor burrows in lawns or flower beds. While rare indoors, they might occasionally venture into basements or enclosed porches. Their presence inside suggests potential entry points for other pests.
Look for 2-inch diameter holes in your yard or near the foundation as signs of chipmunk burrows. These burrows are elaborate, containing multiple chambers, and chipmunks defecate inside them, not outside. Their burrow systems can extend up to 3 feet deep and 30 feet long.
[Chipmunk poop] is sized between rat and mouse droppings, about ½” long, cylindrical, and with pointed ends. A distinguishing feature is their lighter color compared to rat and mouse droppings.
Dark, tubular raccoon scat visible on a green lawn, often containing berry seeds or other food remains.
Raccoon Poop
Raccoon poop often resembles dog feces but is typically darker brown and tubular, commonly 2-3 inches long. To differentiate it from dog waste, examine the droppings closely. If it’s raccoon poop, you’ll likely see visible evidence of berries, seeds, and other food items. This is one type of animal poop that looks like blackberries or contains remnants of them if the raccoon has been feasting on wild berries.
Raccoons are known for their cleanliness and may wash food before eating. They often establish specific locations as communal toilets, known as latrines, where they repeatedly defecate and urinate, simplifying cleanup for them.
Outdoors, raccoon latrines might be found near water sources like pools if they are washing food nearby. Such latrines indicate the presence of food, water, and shelter – everything they need – within your yard. If raccoons nest indoors, particularly in attics, their accumulated feces can become a significant problem, impacting air quality and potentially causing structural damage if neglected.
Raccoon poop is easily identifiable but poses health risks due to potential pathogens like [Baylisascaris procyonis], a dangerous roundworm that is difficult to diagnose. Thorough cleaning and deodorization are crucial after raccoon removal.
If you are uncomfortable cleaning raccoon droppings or dealing with raccoons, professional wildlife experts can identify the scat and handle removal.
Rat Poop
[Rat infestations] are a serious issue, as rats spread diseases and bacteria, making their droppings a health hazard. Fresh rat poop is glossy, moist, and emits a foul odor, signaling an active problem. Rats defecate frequently, up to 60 times daily. Living in groups, their cumulative waste can quickly become substantial, leading to significant accumulations in infested areas.
Squirrel Poop vs. Rat Poop
Distinguishing between squirrel and rat droppings can be tricky since both come from rodents. However, subtle differences can help identification. Rat droppings are generally ½” – ¾” long and dark brown, oval-shaped, and may taper at the ends. Squirrel pellets are rounder with a central bulge and lighten in color with age, while rat poop remains dark brown to blackish.
Other signs can aid differentiation. Rats leave greasy smudges along walls from their fur. Squirrels are often noisy, especially with young in the attic. Combining poop identification with other clues helps pinpoint the culprit and guide cleanup and removal efforts.
Norway Rat Poop vs. Roof Rat Poop
The two main rat species in the US are Norway rats and roof rats. Identifying the specific species can refine control strategies. Visual identification of the rats themselves isn’t always possible, but their droppings can provide clues for setting appropriate traps and bait stations, speeding up removal.
Norway Rat – Potato-shaped poop
- Also known as brown rat, street rat, common rat, or sewer rat
- Typically brown or gray
- Adults measure 7 – 10” long
- Tail is slightly shorter than the body
- Nest in lower areas like sewers or basements
Roof Rat – Banana-shaped poop
- Also called black rat, ship rat, or old English rat
- Darker color, from black to brown, with a lighter underside
- Adults are 6 – 8 inches long, smaller than Norway rats
- Tail is slightly longer than the body
- Nest in higher locations such as attics or tree branches
Rat species can often be identified by their feces. Norway rat droppings are larger, up to ¾” long, with blunt ends. Roof rat droppings are smaller, around ½” long, and pointed. Fresh droppings are soft and moist, drying and hardening with age.
Mouse Poop
Mice frequently enter homes seeking food, water, and shelter, often hiding unnoticed for extended periods until their droppings reveal their presence. Hiding spots include walls, attics, basements, behind appliances, cabinets, and even desk drawers. While they hide waste in these areas, their nightly movements leave evidence.
Mice can produce 50-70 droppings daily, deposited as they travel, forage, or gather nesting material. The quantity of droppings indicates the scale of infestation or location of nests. While some tolerate mice, large accumulations of mouse poop pose health risks and require removal.
Mouse droppings resemble rat droppings but are smaller, about 1/8” long. Fresh droppings are moist and dark, becoming crumbly and powdery as they age. Identifying mouse droppings helps locate nests, often indicated by concentrated piles. Following trails of droppings can reveal their routes to food sources. Humane traps are available for catching mice without harm, allowing for outdoor release.
Mice can access homes through tiny openings. Inspect vents, plumbing, windows, and doors for gaps. Learning to spot mouse droppings and having a plan for removal is important if mice are frequent visitors.
Bat Guano
Bats are natural insectivores and contribute significantly to pest control, pollination, and soil enrichment through their droppings (guano), which are excellent fertilizer. However, bats belong outdoors. When they roost in homes or attics, they can cause substantial damage.
Bat exclusion requires expertise due to federal, state, and local laws protecting bats, often prohibiting removal during certain times of the year (maternity season). Excluding adult bats while immobile young are present results in the death of the babies, compounding the problem significantly. Bat exclusion should only be performed by experienced professionals.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates a single little brown bat can consume 4-8 grams of insects nightly. The tragic loss of millions of bats in the northeast has resulted in thousands of metric tons of insects not being eaten. Due to their high food consumption, bats produce a large amount of waste, averaging about 30 droppings per day. Large attic infestations, sometimes numbering in the thousands of bats, generate overwhelming quantities of guano, potentially accumulating to depths of several feet and causing structural damage to ceilings.
Excessive guano accumulation attracts other insects and predators. Severe infestations can create thriving ecosystems within attics based on the guano. The presence of bats is usually obvious from observing them leaving at dusk, visual inspection, and the strong odor of guano. While volume is a key identifier, individual bat guano droppings are cylindrical with semi-rounded ends, typically brown, dark brown, or gray. They often glisten due to insect fragments, particularly when fresh. As it accumulates, guano merges into a solid mass. Bat guano is a serious health hazard and requires thorough professional cleaning and deodorization.
Bear Poop
Bears are omnivores, though their diet leans heavily towards vegetation, seeds, and berries. While they opportunistic eaters, they typically do not hunt large prey. Analyzing bear scat provides valuable information about their diet and presence. Like other large omnivores, the shape and consistency of bear scat vary with their food source. Interestingly, scat from a purely vegetarian diet (without carcasses) smells less offensive than expected, sometimes having a fermenting berry odor if they’ve eaten a lot of fruit. If a bear has consumed dark berries, their scat could be another form of animal poop that looks like blackberries from a distance, due to the color and the presence of fruit matter.
Normal bear scat is tubular with slightly tapered ends, ranging from 5 to 12 inches in length and 1.5 to 2.5 inches in diameter, with a pile potentially weighing over a pound. Loose or watery scat indicates a diet of moist vegetation or berries. Scat from meat consumption also tends to be watery. Seeds are often visible, and closer inspection may reveal leaf fragments, insect parts, fish scales, or hair. Bears often swallow berries whole, and they can appear relatively undigested in the scat depending on ripeness.
As bear habitats shrink, encounters in residential areas are increasing. Bear scat in your yard is a definite sign of nearby bears. Other indicators include damaged bird feeders, claw marks on trees or porches, or scattered trash. Setting up a game camera can monitor nocturnal activity. Bear activity in residential areas poses risks to humans and pets. Bears accustomed to human food can become aggressive, leading to the saying, “A fed bear is a dead bear.”
Deer Poop
Seeing deer graze in your yard can be pleasant, but in some areas, overpopulation makes them a nuisance, damaging gardens and landscapes. Fences often fail to deter them. Accumulations of deer feces, high in nitrogen, can burn grass. For yards where children play, removing deer droppings from accessible areas is important due to potential bacteria, though keeping deer out completely is challenging.
Deer droppings are typically bullet-shaped pellets, ranging from brown to black depending on diet. Each pellet has a slight indentation on one end and a point on the other. Deer defecate about 13 times daily, releasing around 93 pellets per session, often in tidy piles. Despite their size, the pellets are relatively small: Whitetail deer pellets are roughly 0.75 inches long, and mule deer pellets are slightly larger at 0.875 inches. During summer, with access to moist grasses and gardens, droppings are moist and may clump together. In winter, when they feed on twigs and bark, droppings are firm and more separated.
Deer droppings in your yard signal potential risk to gardens, shrubs, and flowers. For hunters, deer droppings are invaluable for tracking. Due to potential disease, deer scat should be safely removed from accessible areas.
Bird Poop
Bird poop is often seen as an annoyance, but some cultures consider being hit by bird droppings a sign of good luck. For most, however, it’s just a mess. Birds defecate indiscriminately while flying or perching. Large flocks can quickly create significant accumulations of waste, causing visual blight and potential damage to cars, roofs, sidewalks, HVAC units, and solar panels due to its acidic nature. Cleaning up after birds is time-consuming and costly. Effective management requires deterring birds from roosting in specific areas and modifying the environment to discourage their return.
Unlike mammals, birds have a single exit, the cloaca, for urine, feces, and eggs. Birds convert ammonia to uric acid, which is excreted alongside fecal waste, resulting in the common white splatter with darker chunks. The white portion is essentially the bird’s urine, while the brown or green chunky part is the feces.
Muscovy Duck Poop
Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata), native to Central and South America, have established populations in areas like Texas and Florida. Initially introduced for aesthetic purposes, they have become problematic, interbreeding with native birds, spreading disease, and becoming aggressive when fed by humans. They frequent aquatic areas, feeding on plants, seeds, and insects, supplemented by human handouts.
A primary complaint about Muscovy ducks is the large volume of poop they produce, especially in public waterfront areas. Each adult can generate about ⅓ lb of manure daily, deposited on paths and potentially degrading water quality. Similar to other bird waste, it appears as a large white splatter with dark fecal chunks. These droppings are found anywhere the ducks travel, including sidewalks, docks, ponds, and swimming pools.
As a non-native species in some areas like Florida, Muscovy ducks can be trapped and removed, though not relocated due to the threat they pose to native waterfowl. They are commercially raised globally for food, prized for their less greasy meat with a strong flavor.
Pigeon Poop
Pigeon guano is a major problem in urban areas. Its high acidity causes permanent damage to stone structures and vehicles. Large flocks indicate where pigeon poop will be found. It consists of a white splatter (urine) and brown or green lumps (feces). Unchecked pigeon droppings can lead to slip-and-fall lawsuits and contribute to structural damage. Pigeons often roost and defecate inside HVAC units and on solar panels.
Where pigeons nest, significant amounts of poop accumulate, and they are difficult to deter due to their strong homing instinct. They can return to their nests from vast distances. Constant cleaning is necessary unless the pigeons are removed. Effective abatement methods include spikes, ledges, nets, and mild electrical deterrents to prevent them from landing on properties, thereby eliminating the poop issue. [internal_links]
Seagull Poop
Beachside businesses view seagulls and their droppings as a major nuisance. Seagulls aggressively snatch food and defecate on decks, boats, docks, sidewalks, and beachgoers. While some accept this as part of the location, others implement deterrents to minimize the impact of seagull droppings. Avoiding scrubbing droppings is a strong motivator for deterrence.
Conversely, research highlights the positive environmental impact of seabird poop (guano) on coastal ecosystems. Guano provides natural fertilizer for coastal vegetation and may positively affect coral reefs, increasing fish populations crucial for fisheries and tourism. Balancing seabird protection with preventing droppings on property is key. Deterrence strategies can significantly reduce the amount of seagull waste on homes and businesses.
Coyote Poop
Coyotes are adapting to urban and suburban environments, sometimes preying on small pets. These clever canines are often more heard than seen, though sightings increase in fall/winter when food is scarce. The first sign of a coyote might be unidentified scat. As members of the canine family, their poop resembles that of larger dogs but is typically tubular with long, curled, tapered ends, up to 4 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. The curled ends are a distinguishing feature. Coyote scat color varies based on diet (light brown, greenish, dark brown). Winter scat may be darker with fur and bone fragments, while summer scat can be lighter, containing seeds and berries – another potential source of animal poop that looks like blackberries if dark berries are consumed.
Coyotes don’t restrict defecation to dens and may use poop to mark territory and assert dominance, leaving scat in various areas, particularly along human trails, to signal their presence. Distinguishing coyote scat from dog poop can be done by smell; coyote scat has a distinct “musty” odor.
Skunk Poop
Skunks, sometimes colloquially called polecats (though different animals), are known for their potent defensive spray. Despite this, the most odiferous thing about a skunk is generally not its poop. While skunk droppings do have a foul smell distinct from their spray, they are often found in gardens and lawns and can be mistaken for stray cat feces. Skunk poop is tubular with blunted ends, 1-2 inches long and about ½ inch in diameter. Closer examination often reveals undigested feathers, insects, berries, seeds, and fur – meaning skunk poop can sometimes contain dark berry remnants that might contribute to it looking like animal poop that looks like blackberries.
Skunks are omnivorous scavengers, raiding trash and pet food but also eating seasonally available items like insects, rodents, birds, and eggs. Their search for grubs often involves digging up gardens, creating cone-shaped holes. Besides scat and digging, the tell-tale skunk smell and structural damage from entry are signs of their presence. Identifying skunk droppings helps confirm their presence, aiding in trapping and preventing further damage.
Snake Poop
Unlike bird or bat guano, snake feces rarely accumulate to become a major problem. However, identifying occasional droppings is important for assessing potential threats. Snakes eat infrequently, leading to infrequent defecation. Frequency varies by snake size and species; smaller snakes eat more often but smaller meals, while large snakes eat large prey less frequently and can go months without eating, especially during brumation (quasi-hibernation). Females stop eating when pregnant, and snakes also stop before shedding skin. Larger meals mean longer digestion times between defecations.
Snakes eat meals whole, and digestion is time-consuming. A snake defecates only after digesting an entire meal, resulting in one dropping per meal. Timing depends on meal size and temperature. Dropping size varies with the snake and prey size.
While exact dimensions vary, snake poop has distinguishing features. Like birds and lizards, snakes have a cloaca, a single exit for urine, feces, and reproductive matter. Snake waste is a combination: brown or black semi-formed fecal logs often capped or streaked with a chalky white substance, which is the uric acid (solidified urine). Snake droppings are less formed and more liquid than mammalian feces due to the lack of fibrous vegetation in their diet. Large samples may contain bones, fur, teeth, or nails. Snake poop doesn’t reveal species or venomousness, nor does a single dropping guarantee the snake is still present. Accumulations are rare but might indicate a den. Finding snake poop can also signal high rodent activity, as snakes are drawn to areas with abundant food and water. Inspecting for potential rodent entry points and considering preventative rodent control is advisable if snake poop is found.
Opossum Poop
Opossums can damage yards but are more concerning when they access attics, causing significant issues. As North America’s only marsupial, opossums face negative perceptions due to their appearance and habits, though their potential role in controlling ticks is debated. Recent studies analyzing opossum poop and stomach contents question their preference for ticks, suggesting they may not be the “tick vacuums” commonly believed.
While opossum poop helps ecological studies, finding a smelly pile in the attic is unpleasant. Opossums can enter attics through small openings, using their opposable thumbs to enlarge them. Seeking warm, dry nesting sites for young, attics are appealing.
The main issue is that opossum poop is large and smells awful. It resembles medium-sized dog poop but is smaller and often has a twisty or curvy shape, unlike the more uniform dog droppings. Opossums don’t use centralized latrines like raccoons, leaving piles throughout attics. Typical opossum poop is brown, ¾” in diameter, and about 2” long, usually found in piles of 2-3 logs. The twisty shape comes from the opossum bending during excretion. The odor is similar to strong dog poop, exacerbated by accumulation. Opossum deaths in attics, such as young falling into wall voids, can cause overwhelming odors. Inspecting your home for potential entry holes and sealing them is crucial to prevent opossums and other wildlife from entering and leaving waste. [internal_links]
Armadillo Poop
Armadillos (“little armored ones”) are another potential nuisance, often seen as roadkill due to their nocturnal habits. If they frequent your yard, they can cause extensive damage through digging. They have strong claws and legs for burrowing and are rarely found in attics.
[Armadillos] primarily eat earthworms, grubs, and other insects. They root and dig holes while foraging at night, damaging lawns and landscaping. Like all animals, they leave fecal matter as they move. Armadillo poop is smaller than most backyard visitors’, more pellet-shaped than logs, about an inch long. Closer inspection may reveal insect parts, soil, and twig fragments. Armadillo scat is typically found near burrow entrances or in gardens where they forage.
Armadillos are known carriers of the bacteria causing leprosy. Although rare in humans, contact with armadillos and their feces is a risk factor. While the transmission mechanism isn’t fully understood, close contact might play a role. If armadillos are burrowing and digging up your yard, professional trappers can remove them to protect landscaping investments.
Lizard Poop
Lizards, geckos, salamanders, and skinks are reptiles that might leave droppings on patios or porches. They can enter homes accidentally or intentionally. At first glance, lizard poop can resemble rat or mouse droppings. Correct identification is important; rodent droppings indicate a significant issue requiring immediate action, while a lizard dropping is usually a minor concern.
Lizard poop is distinct, consisting of two parts: a dark brown, black, or greenish dropping capped with a chalky white tip. Like birds and snakes, lizards excrete urine and feces together through a single cloaca. The dark part is the feces, and the white cap is the uric acid (urine). Rodents have separate systems, so their droppings lack the white cap. Most lizard poop is small, under an inch, varying by species and size.
Frog and Toad Poop
Frog poop varies by species but is often large relative to the frog’s size. Droppings that seem to come from a large mammal might be from a medium-sized frog. Frogs eat large quantities when available, have large stomachs, and some species consume relatively large prey for their size, resulting in unexpectedly large droppings.
Finding a large dropping on a porch doesn’t necessarily mean a large mammal was there. Large frogs, like [Pacman frogs], produce exceptionally large droppings. Frog droppings are cylindrical and lack the white cap seen on lizard and snake poop. Fresh frog scat appears shiny, losing its sheen and shrinking slightly as it dries. The logs are solid without indentations. Frog and toad bowel movements can be up to a quarter of their body length. Frog urine is sometimes associated with folklore but doesn’t cause warts. However, frog urine can potentially spread disease if it contacts open cuts or mucous membranes; always wash hands after handling frogs.
Bufo Toad or the Cane Toad Poop
Of particular concern in some areas, like Florida, is the poisonous [bufo toad] (Rhinella Marina), also known as the cane toad. These invasive toads release a milky bufotoxin from glands behind their eyes, which is deadly to pets that bite or try to eat them. If a pet is suspected of biting a cane toad, immediate veterinary care is essential.
[Cane toads] are found near water bodies, especially in south Florida, where they were introduced as a biopesticide for sugar farms. Their massive appetites lead to much larger size than native Florida frogs and toads. While native species max out around 4 inches, cane toads average 6 inches and can reach 9.5 inches. Naturally, their poop is also large, resembling that of other frogs but significantly bigger. People often mistake cane toad poop for cat droppings found on lanais.
Finding cane toad poop on your property warns of potential danger to pets. If bufo toads are present, they can be trapped and humanely euthanized in areas where they are invasive. Identifying their large droppings is a key warning sign for pet owners.
Iguana Poop
Iguanas thrive in tropical vegetation, becoming comfortable in areas like south Florida. As their populations grow, so do problems associated with their poop. Primarily herbivores, they eat flowers, fruits, and vegetation. This diet means their scat can contain fruit matter, potentially appearing like animal poop that looks like blackberries if they’ve eaten dark berries or similar fruits. They are common nuisances near water, pools, docks, and marinas. Finding iguana droppings in your yard or pool is often the first sign of their presence.
With increasing populations of non-native iguanas, wildlife authorities encourage their eradication from homes and businesses. Damage to expensive landscaping and large accumulations of poop are primary reasons homeowners seek to remove them.
Like other reptiles, iguanas defecate and urinate through the cloaca, often simultaneously. Their waste includes brown or greenish feces, a liquid component, and uric acid that dries chalky white on surfaces. Size and shape depend on the iguana’s size. Baby iguana poop is small and pellet-like, similar to rabbit droppings, expelled as multiple pellets. As iguanas grow, their fecal masses become longer and often twisted, resembling a DNA helix. Droppings from large adult males can be the size of medium dog poop.
Iguana poop is particularly bothersome because it often appears in recreational areas like pool decks. Given the Florida lifestyle centered around aquatic activities, which iguanas also favor, businesses and homeowners near water frequently encounter iguana issues and their significant waste.
Risks Associated with Animal Poop
Discovering unexpected animal droppings in and around your home is understandably off-putting. And for good reason – fecal matter, regardless of species, is linked to disease spread, fly infestations, unpleasant odors, and visual unsightliness. Throughout history, improper waste management has caused countless deaths. Conversely, animal manure has significantly benefited agriculture by enriching soil and increasing crop yields. Historically, some animal droppings, like pigeon guano, were so valuable they were guarded. Bison droppings were crucial for the Great Plains ecosystem.
However, large accumulations of feces near humans lead to health risks, including disease outbreaks and water contamination. Human exposure is more common in developing countries, though domestic animals globally produce the vast majority of animal fecal waste. If you encounter unexpected droppings, avoid touching them with bare hands.
Over 40 diseases can be spread by ingesting or handling items contaminated with animal feces. Parasites can also be introduced into the soil. While relatively rare, these diseases can be serious, especially for vulnerable individuals. Large poop accumulations can be cleaned safely using personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, disposable suits, eye protection, shoe covers, and appropriate respiratory protection.
Flies are attracted to fresh fecal matter for laying eggs, playing a role in decomposition. Maggots hatch and consume the waste. High-manure environments like farms struggle with fly control. Attics with animal droppings are likely to attract flies and roaches.
Unsurprisingly, poop is strongly associated with foul odors. While a single dropping may not cause a major odor issue, large accumulations from wildlife nesting in attics or under decks can severely impact indoor air quality. Pigeon poop, being high in uric acid and acidic, is particularly damaging and contributes significantly to visual blight and community health concerns in urban areas.
How to Clean Up Animal Poop
Accumulated animal poop, whether in a yard or attic, requires cleaning. If wildlife like raccoons, rats, squirrels, or opossums have nested in your attic, significant fecal matter is likely present. After removing the animals and sealing entry points, cleanup is essential. There may also be damage to wiring, insulation, or HVAC systems. Leaving feces contaminates air quality and attracts other pests.
The CDC provides guidelines for cleaning fecal matter indoors, emphasizing PPE use to avoid exposure to bacteria and fungal spores stirred up as dust. Do not sweep or vacuum dry feces or nesting material. Instead, spray the area with a bleach solution or commercial disinfectant first to contain dust and neutralize pathogens.
Allow the disinfectant to soak for at least 5 minutes, then carefully remove the droppings. This might require tools like a shovel and buckets for large accumulations or simply scooping into a bag for smaller amounts. Thoroughly check adjacent areas for contamination. Disinfect anything that may have come into contact with the waste.
Attic cleanup often involves dealing with decaying animal carcasses. The lingering odor can be a strong motivator for thorough cleaning. After removing carcasses and disinfecting, residual odors may persist. Enzymatic cleaners, containing microbes that consume odor-causing bacteria rather than just masking smells, are useful, especially for areas with unseen contamination like old urine stains on rafters or insulation.
Cleaning Outdoor Wildlife Poop
Outdoor poop removal is also sometimes necessary, especially in areas used by children or pets. Large piles of waste from nuisance wildlife can be problematic. The easiest disposal methods are burying the waste or shoveling it into a plastic bag, sealing it, and disposing of it in the trash.
Bird and reptile droppings, particularly those with dried white uric acid caps (like pigeon waste), can be difficult to remove and may require scrubbing. Pigeon excrement’s acidity can damage surfaces. Hot soapy water and a stiff brush are usually needed. A scraping tool may be necessary for hardened deposits.
Using Poop as Fertilizer
Historically, animal poop has been used as fertilizer, but doing so carries risks due to the presence of bacteria, parasites, and fungal spores. For safe use, especially in vegetable gardens, manure should be heat composted. Proper composting requires specific ratios of nitrogen (from manure) to carbon (from materials like straw or wood shavings), adequate aeration, moisture, and temperature. To kill pathogens, weed seeds, and parasites, the compost pile must reach and maintain at least 131°F (55°C) for 15 days. Composting small amounts of random wildlife droppings is impractical; this method is more suitable for large-scale animal operations.
Cleaning up animal poop is undeniably a dirty job. Fortunately, professionals specializing in wildlife trapping often offer cleanup services. If dealing with bat guano or unidentified droppings is beyond your comfort level, expert help is available to handle the trapping and thorough cleaning required.
